Yesterday and early this morning I read about several things. A young man who unfortunately killed several people including injuring a congresswoman. And a Governor who commutes a death sentence. I leave out specifics because I'm really interesting in the framework and effect that these two events have on society. And moreover I am relating them to the question of today's blog. Is it a sign of the times or is something in the atmosphere?
I pose that question because both of these occurrences reflect where we are today. We question whether a highly charged political environment can incite violence and we recognize the need to consider life altering decisions a bit further and correct errors when needed.
So to answer my own question, I think it's a matter of both. I think we are in a time where we know that we have to right some wrongs, be more deliberate about our decisions, and check the pulse of this country to see just how we are living. The Governor made no excuses about the decision, but it is felt and acknowledged that it was the humane thing to do. And authorities are trying to see what set off a man to commit such violence. Although he is a man, he is still considered in many eyes, someone who is just getting started in life who should not even have had such contemplations let alone committed such acts. So where does that lead us? Integrity
Integrity in our decisions are so crucial. It almost seems "old" if you will to use such a word in today's society, especially among youth. It's like what is that? But it is a place that I think we need to visit often. Let's be clear, I'm not talking about those decisions where we are deciding do I like him, does he love me, and all the natural things that adults and young people go through. I'm talking about the integrity involved in building character that will determine our actions when confronted with life altering decisions.
This is very important in this highly charged political environment because when trying to set the course of society and even your agenda, you want to do so in a manner that first does no harm. And more often than not, we don't consider these outcomes because it hasn't been worked into the fabric of who we are. However, it is important that we do so.
Two stories come to mind as I talk about the judgements we make and the lasting effect they have in both politics and our lives. There's a movie called Nothing But The Truth (Debuted in 2008). Let me say this, the story got great reviews. But more than that, I think it is a great teaching tool. There are three incidents in the film that are teachable moments. Of course I don't know that they will stand out to anyone else and certainly the story wasn't built around these observations but they fit where we are today.
Note: I am giving a cursory overview so big chunks of the story line are left out. Please see movie for further insight.
The first observation: In the movie a young girl tells a journalist (reporter) about conversations her parents are having in the household. This reporter decides to write about what the child said and there are great consequences as a result of what the child says.
Second observation: The mother has to defend herself against these claims in the blind. Not ever knowing that it was her own child who unknowingly created such havoc.
Third observation: The mother's colleagues didn't have enough professional judgement to support her neither did they believe her claim of innocence and as a result lost her life.
Here's where I'm going with this: Highly charged political environments come as the result of something someone says, reports, and the manner in which statements are defended, our agendas are set, and a whole host of other factors too lengthy to get in to. And this is where integrity comes into play. How we resolve matters, protect, and serve all factor into the agendas we've set. You know the first thing I wondered in my observations was what if the child's statements were incorrect or better yet, implicated the wrong family. Why was it appropriate to not let a parent know that the innocence of their child was a liability to their safety? I wondered why someone would even allow a person to try and defend themselves without adequate information and why much needed discussions didn't take place. It's like having a lawyer defend someone without one case file. And lastly, the manner in which we support our colleagues and the people we love is critical.
Integrity and honesty are important because it dictates how we lead our lives. Not to mention they also become culturally impactful. Why? Because when you have followers others will emulate what you are doing. So whether we are for the same cause or not, we want to lead in the best manner possible. Children are watching us.
We must ask ourselves, what have we deemed acceptable? What are the young people thinking? What dictates their responses? What are our thoughts about guilt and innocence? I know personally, when I talk to young people I try and correct (I have a teenage sister). Based on her response I can tell if she's thinking correctly. Children can respond to the big picture, but they often lack the maturity to see how it evolves and the seemingly small displays (or lack thereof) in character that lead to something wonderful and special or catastrophic. And they also can be surprisingly intelligent. We have to create the balance.
Lastly, I think it's important to acknowledge that in the event we make a mistake (and we all have) hopefully we get a chance to right a wrong, or make amends and start anew. That's where we should be moving towards. This may seem idealistic but we've got to do something. Trying to equip our children with mechanisms that help them to avoid tragic events seems like a great place to start.
I pose that question because both of these occurrences reflect where we are today. We question whether a highly charged political environment can incite violence and we recognize the need to consider life altering decisions a bit further and correct errors when needed.
So to answer my own question, I think it's a matter of both. I think we are in a time where we know that we have to right some wrongs, be more deliberate about our decisions, and check the pulse of this country to see just how we are living. The Governor made no excuses about the decision, but it is felt and acknowledged that it was the humane thing to do. And authorities are trying to see what set off a man to commit such violence. Although he is a man, he is still considered in many eyes, someone who is just getting started in life who should not even have had such contemplations let alone committed such acts. So where does that lead us? Integrity
Integrity in our decisions are so crucial. It almost seems "old" if you will to use such a word in today's society, especially among youth. It's like what is that? But it is a place that I think we need to visit often. Let's be clear, I'm not talking about those decisions where we are deciding do I like him, does he love me, and all the natural things that adults and young people go through. I'm talking about the integrity involved in building character that will determine our actions when confronted with life altering decisions.
This is very important in this highly charged political environment because when trying to set the course of society and even your agenda, you want to do so in a manner that first does no harm. And more often than not, we don't consider these outcomes because it hasn't been worked into the fabric of who we are. However, it is important that we do so.
Two stories come to mind as I talk about the judgements we make and the lasting effect they have in both politics and our lives. There's a movie called Nothing But The Truth (Debuted in 2008). Let me say this, the story got great reviews. But more than that, I think it is a great teaching tool. There are three incidents in the film that are teachable moments. Of course I don't know that they will stand out to anyone else and certainly the story wasn't built around these observations but they fit where we are today.
Note: I am giving a cursory overview so big chunks of the story line are left out. Please see movie for further insight.
The first observation: In the movie a young girl tells a journalist (reporter) about conversations her parents are having in the household. This reporter decides to write about what the child said and there are great consequences as a result of what the child says.
Second observation: The mother has to defend herself against these claims in the blind. Not ever knowing that it was her own child who unknowingly created such havoc.
Third observation: The mother's colleagues didn't have enough professional judgement to support her neither did they believe her claim of innocence and as a result lost her life.
Here's where I'm going with this: Highly charged political environments come as the result of something someone says, reports, and the manner in which statements are defended, our agendas are set, and a whole host of other factors too lengthy to get in to. And this is where integrity comes into play. How we resolve matters, protect, and serve all factor into the agendas we've set. You know the first thing I wondered in my observations was what if the child's statements were incorrect or better yet, implicated the wrong family. Why was it appropriate to not let a parent know that the innocence of their child was a liability to their safety? I wondered why someone would even allow a person to try and defend themselves without adequate information and why much needed discussions didn't take place. It's like having a lawyer defend someone without one case file. And lastly, the manner in which we support our colleagues and the people we love is critical.
Integrity and honesty are important because it dictates how we lead our lives. Not to mention they also become culturally impactful. Why? Because when you have followers others will emulate what you are doing. So whether we are for the same cause or not, we want to lead in the best manner possible. Children are watching us.
We must ask ourselves, what have we deemed acceptable? What are the young people thinking? What dictates their responses? What are our thoughts about guilt and innocence? I know personally, when I talk to young people I try and correct (I have a teenage sister). Based on her response I can tell if she's thinking correctly. Children can respond to the big picture, but they often lack the maturity to see how it evolves and the seemingly small displays (or lack thereof) in character that lead to something wonderful and special or catastrophic. And they also can be surprisingly intelligent. We have to create the balance.
Lastly, I think it's important to acknowledge that in the event we make a mistake (and we all have) hopefully we get a chance to right a wrong, or make amends and start anew. That's where we should be moving towards. This may seem idealistic but we've got to do something. Trying to equip our children with mechanisms that help them to avoid tragic events seems like a great place to start.
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